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William James Gilmour McDonald (13 June 1924 – 9 December 2015) was a Scottish minister. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1989. He presented BBC Radio Scotland's "Thought for the Day" for many years.

Life

He was born on 3 June 1924 to Grace Kennedy Hunter and Hugh Gilmour McDonald. He was educated at Daniel Stewart's School, Edinburgh, and was school dux. He studied classics at the University of Edinburgh graduating with an MA, going on to take a further degree in divinity at the University.

In the final years of the Second World War he was a Captain in the Royal Artillery in India in an anti-tank regiment. He then returned to Scotland where, after assisting in St Cuthberts Church in Edinburgh for some years, he was ordained into the church at Limekilns which also included being Chaplain to Rosyth Dockyard. In 1959 he was translated to the Mayfield Salisbury Church in south Edinburgh succeeding Rev James Whyte. He remained there for the rest of his life. In Edinburgh he also served as Chaplain to the Merchant Company of Edinburgh. He received an honorary doctorate (DD) from the University of Edinburgh in 1987. He retired in 1992 but would still speak occasionally at his former church.

He died in Edinburgh on 9 December 2015 and is buried in Grange Cemetery near his home. The grave lies near the north-west corner of the modern western extension.

Family

In 1952 he married Margaret Patricia Watson, and together they had two daughters and a son; Alison, Sheena, a television presenter and journalist, and Roddy.

Publications

• Words Thought and Said (2014)

References

1. "Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland genealogy project". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
2. ^ "McDonald, Very Rev. William James Gilmour, (3 June 1924–9 Dec. 2015), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 1989–90; Parish Minister of Mayfield, Edinburgh, 1959–92", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u25546, ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1, retrieved 4 May 2019
3. Scotland, The Church of (9 December 2015). "Tribute to former Moderator of the General Assembly the Very Rev Dr William McDonald". The Church of Scotland. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
4. "Obituary: Very Rev Dr Bill McDonald, Mayfield Parish minister". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

• 1924 births
• 2015 deaths
• 20th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland
• 20th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers
• Clergy from Edinburgh
• Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
• Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
• 21st-century ministers of the Church of Scotland
• 21st-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers
• British Army personnel of World War II
• Royal Artillery officers
• People educated at Stewart's Melville College